How do I add an MCP server to Codex CLI?

Run codex mcp add -- [args...], or add an [mcp_servers. ] table with command and args to ~/.codex/config.toml. Use /mcp inside Codex to confirm it loaded.

Can I reuse a Claude Desktop MCP config in Codex?

The values carry over but the format does not: Codex reads TOML, so convert each mcpServers JSON entry into an [mcp_servers. ] table with the same command, args, and env.

Does Codex support remote MCP servers?

Codex supports stdio servers and streamable HTTP servers configured with a url field. Check the Codex docs for the current remote and OAuth options, since support has expanded across releases.

How do I add an MCP server to Codex CLI?

Run codex mcp add -- [args...], or add an [mcp_servers. ] table with command and args to ~/.codex/config.toml. Use /mcp inside Codex to confirm it loaded.

Can I reuse a Claude Desktop MCP config in Codex?

The values carry over but the format does not: Codex reads TOML, so convert each mcpServers JSON entry into an [mcp_servers. ] table with the same command, args, and env.

Does Codex support remote MCP servers?

Codex supports stdio servers and streamable HTTP servers configured with a url field. Check the Codex docs for the current remote and OAuth options, since support has expanded across releases.

Terminal CLI

How to Install MCP Servers in OpenAI Codex CLI

How to add MCP servers to the OpenAI Codex CLI — the [mcp_servers] tables in ~/.codex/config.toml, the codex mcp add command, and how to confirm tools loaded.

Configuring OpenAI Codex CLI

Config file: config.toml

User (global) path~/.codex/config.toml

# ~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.filesystem]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/allowed/dir"]

[mcp_servers.filesystem.env]
# API_KEY = "..."

Step-by-step Installation Guide

1
Add the server with the CLI or config file
Run "codex mcp add <name> -- <command> [args...]", or add an [mcp_servers.<name>] table to ~/.codex/config.toml. Codex uses TOML, not JSON, so each server is its own table.
2
Set command, args, and env
Each server table takes a "command" string and an "args" array. Put secrets in a nested [mcp_servers.<name>.env] table rather than in the args.
3
Verify inside a session
Start Codex and run the /mcp command to list configured servers and their tools. If a server is missing, check the TOML syntax — a malformed table silently drops the entry.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Run codex mcp add <name> -- <command> [args...], or add an [mcp_servers.<name>] table with command and args to ~/.codex/config.toml. Use /mcp inside Codex to confirm it loaded.

Install MCP servers in other clients

Step-by-step Installation Guide

Add the server with the CLI or config file

Run "codex mcp add <name> -- <command> [args...]", or add an [mcp_servers.<name>] table to ~/.codex/config.toml. Codex uses TOML, not JSON, so each server is its own table.

Set command, args, and env

Each server table takes a "command" string and an "args" array. Put secrets in a nested [mcp_servers.<name>.env] table rather than in the args.

Verify inside a session

Start Codex and run the /mcp command to list configured servers and their tools. If a server is missing, check the TOML syntax — a malformed table silently drops the entry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Run codex mcp add <name> -- <command> [args...], or add an [mcp_servers.<name>] table with command and args to ~/.codex/config.toml. Use /mcp inside Codex to confirm it loaded.